Hell's Most Wanted
by Castielle
Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… Set after season five's Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers. Warnings for bad language and slight Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… but first they need to find him. Dean/Castiel.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, sigh...

'_Hell's Most Wanted'_

_**Chapter One**_

Lucifer contemplated his reflection in the broken mirror with a sardonic grin, all too aware of his vessel's decomposing state. Even though he'd achieved much in the past few months from within the body, his time in this particular meat suit was coming to an end. It was happening far quicker than he'd anticipated, but it meant that now he could kick-start the final leg of his plan to bring Sam Winchester – his true vessel – to him.

And then?

Well, then Hell was coming to Earth. It was enough to make him want to do a happy-dance. Everything he'd accomplished was leading up to this moment in time and no one, especially not those damn Winchesters and their little pet angel, were going to stand in his way.

With one final smirk at his appearance, the fallen angel turned towards the two demons candidly keeping their distance over the other side of the room. How he despised the thought of relying upon these two for anything, but he was safe in the knowledge that his plan was foolproof. He was going to kill two birds with one stone and then feast upon their broken, bloody corpses.

'Bring him to me,' he commanded, the soft cadence of his voice raising chills upon the demons' borrowed skin. Bowing their acquiescence, the pair hurried from the room without a word.

'Soon, Winchester. Soon…' Lucifer promised.

* * *

The soft resonance of early morning traffic drifted through the open window as the exhausted figure finally settled his head on a pillow, closing his eyes as he snuggled under the threadbare blanket. Even the proudly ticking clock couldn't keep the man awake tonight and it didn't take long for his breathing to slow, slumber swiftly taking hold.

The curtains fluttered gently, the wind picking up as a lone piece of paper fell from the worktop, floating to the floor. The room showed very few signs of being occupied, with the exception of the hunter's bag thrown carelessly on the floor beside the single bed, easily within grabbing distance if the need arose.

The shrill ring of a nearby phone startled Dean from his short foray into unconsciousness with a jolt, cursing as he bolted upright. Untangling himself from the sheet he leapt from the bed and grabbed for the phone in the pocket of his pants, not even bothering to check the caller I.D.

'What?' he grouched, drained beyond belief. He'd been driving through the night and there was only so much Metallica you could listen to at full volume before even that could no longer keep you awake.

'Dean.'

Castiel's rough voice cut through the sleepy haze fogging his brain like a sharp knife.

His angel.

'You need to tell me where you are,' Castiel demanded, urgency apparent in his voice. That the angel disguised none of his worry was enough to make the hunter take notice.

'Cas, what's going on?' he questioned as he rubbed a hand wearily through his short hair. He sure wasn't getting any rest tonight, not at this rate.

'Lucifer. There are demons heading your way, Dean – I need to know where you are.'

There was a long pause as the angel let his words sink in, expecting Dean's typical sarcastic humour, but there was no response.

'Dean?'

Across the phone line, Castiel heard a harsh thud before the line went dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing, sigh…

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… but first they need to find him. Set after Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers. Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic. Please read and review: you'll encourage me to write even quicker… haha! =)

_'Hell's Most Wanted'_

Chapter Two

Sam fought a losing battle against his third yawn in a row as he typed furiously at the laptop. Glancing at his watch, cursing as he realised the time, the younger Winchester pushed his chair away from the table and stretched his aching muscles. He wasn't expecting Dean back for a good few hours yet so he had plenty of time to grab some rest before they headed out to their next job.

This last week had been hell for the brothers, no pun intended. The looming apocalypse was managing to drag even the lowest form of evil from out of the woodwork and Dean, with his typical 'no rest for the wicked' attitude, had decided they needed to take on as many hunts as they could. They'd had to go their separate ways for the latest case. What they'd first thought to be a simple 'salt and burn' had resulted in Dean having to race across the other side of town to the graveyard whilst Sam kept their client safe from one mega pissed spirit. He was glad it was over and that Dean would soon be on his way back.

As Sam headed towards the shower, he felt his phone vibrate quietly in his pocket. Wondering who would be calling at this time of night, he checked caller I.D and frowned.

Accepting the call, Sam greeted the angel with a tired hello but Castiel interrupted him quickly, his voice a low growl.

'I must talk with Dean.'

Sam screwed his face up in confusion. 'Do you even realise what time it is, Cas? He's passed out in a motel somewhere off the highway. We've just finished a hunt so I'm not expecting him back until the morning.' A new thought occurred to the youngest Winchester. 'Why didn't you ring his cell?'

Castiel waited impatiently for Sam to stop talking before dropping the bombshell. 'Something's happened.'

* * *

Dean groaned with an equal measure of pain and annoyance as he came to, blinking to clear his vision. He was lying on the motel room floor, he realised with a sense of growing unease as he looked up at the peeling and cracked ceiling. How the hell did he get down here?

Gingerly touching the side of his face, the hunter cursed as his hand came away bloody. For a moment his mind remained blank and he wondered if he'd passed out from the exhaustion of working so many jobs in such a short time. Sammy would kill him if he ever found out…

But no, when the pounding in his head paused momentarily, he remembered his close encounter with the motel wall courtesy of two _freakin'_ demons. He must be more tired than he'd thought for them to get the jump on him like that.

Muttering under his breath, Dean was struck by the realisation that he didn't remember fighting them off. But if that were true, where the hell were they? The room was deathly silent so he knew they were long gone. And what was the point of introducing him face-first to the wall if they were just going to leave him laying there like a piece of discarded trash? _Oh God_, thinking hurt his head right now…

Sitting up slowly, regretting the move an instant later as his head and stomach rebelled, Dean allowed a moment for things to quit spinning before taking in the room around him. He instantly spotted his phone in pieces on the floor but nothing else looked disturbed. Whatever the demons were after, they hadn't found it here.

Dragging himself to his feet, Dean limped to the small bathroom and grabbed the washcloth from the sink. He pointedly ignored his reflection in the small mirror, not really feeling up to acknowledging how much of a wreck he looked, even without some random demon attack. Maybe he and Sammy should take a well deserved break after tonight…

Holding the damp cloth to his cheek to stem the flow of blood, wincing at the stab of pain, the hunter's thoughts turned to Castiel. It was a rare thing if the angel left his side lately, and Dean was strangely fine with that… not that he'd ever admit it, but he'd done his typical disappearing act a few nights ago and hadn't been seen nor heard from since, at least not until the phone call tonight.

_Crap_, Cas was probably going stir crazy trying to find him right about now, which meant Sammy would be too. Heading back into the other room, Dean fought against another wave of dizziness, clutching at the wall to keep his balance.

'Dean!'

The soft fluttering of wings accompanied the arrival of Castiel and his brother. He should have known they'd be able to find him. Sam was instantly at his side, steadying him with a supportive arm before leading him to the bed and forcing him to sit. 'What the hell happened, man?'

Too tired and dizzy to fight his brother's probing hands, Dean let his brother fuss with the cloth to clean up the blood whilst he watched his angel.

Castiel stood as far back from the pair as he could, allowing Sam the time he needed to check his brother over, but Dean could see the worry etched clearly on his face; could read the barely restrained urge to physically check the hunter was fine for himself. Offering Cas a grin to convey he was OK, it quickly turned into a grimace of pain as Sam pulled the cloth away from his rapidly swelling cheek.

'Jeez, Sammy, some doctor you are…'

'Quit your bitching and talk, Dean. Cas scared the crap outta me earlier with talk of Lucifer and demons. What the hell happened?'

Dean took a deep breath as he shrugged, snatching the cloth back from his brother. 'I know about as much as you, Sammy. I got a phone call from Cas and two seconds later I'm jumped by demons.'

Castiel bristled under the Winchesters' identical glares. 'I tried to warn you, Dean,' was the only explanation he gave, his eyes roaming the room as if to look anywhere but at them. Dean coughed to disguise a chuckle, attempting to get to his feet but Sam held him in place.

'Dean, I think you have a concussion. You should rest.'

'I'm pretty sure I know how to take care of myself, Sam. Just leave it,' Dean growled, shrugging off his brother's hand as he stood up. The room continued its sickening spin, what little colour left draining from his face, but Dean refused to show weakness. Storming into the bathroom he slammed the door, locking it behind him, and only allowed himself to collapse to the floor once he was out of sight of the others. Resting his back against the cool tiles, Dean swallowed the wave of nausea and closed his eyes.

Something wasn't right.

Whichever bitch Fate had designated his ass-kicking quota had seriously underestimated just how much trouble one guy could get into. He'd lost track of the number of concussions, broken bones, fights and hospital trips years ago, but this felt different.

Castiel appeared before him without a word, the comforting sound of rustling feathers greeting his ears. Sinking to the floor beside Dean he settled himself serenely on the floor, mirroring the hunter's pose.

After a pregnant pause, Dean sighed and opened one eye. Castiel met his stare and cleared his throat. 'Sam has gone to get food. He figured you could use something to eat.' Shifting uncomfortably on the floor, Dean nodded.

'I didn't mean to bite his head off, y'know.'

'He understands. He's just worried for you, Dean.' The _'I am too'_ was left unsaid but neither of the men needed to hear the words to know them to be true. 'Do you remember what happened?'

Dean shrugged, recounting what he knew. Castiel looked even more worried by the time he'd finished talking, climbing to his feet to pace around the small room.

'Lucifer has a bounty out on your head, Dean. Every demon, witch and Satanist across the country is looking for you.'

Dean just rolled his eyes, reluctantly accepting the angel's offered hand as he struggled back to his feet. As if _that_ revelation was news to him. The room didn't spin so fast this time, he was glad to notice, allowing Cas to direct him towards the door and back outside towards the bed. He didn't question as the angel made him sit down, running soft hands through his hair to look for further damage. He didn't even protest as Castiel removed his bloodied shirt and made him lie down.

'All I need is for Sam to walk in now,' the hunter grouched jokingly as he felt himself relax under Cas's gentle care, even the pain in his head dampening beneath the angel's soft touch.

'He won't be back for a while, Dean. Get some rest.'

Dean was asleep before he could even think to protest, and Cas felt a little guilty for using his angel mojo but it was the only way Dean would ever listen. Using the moment's respite to give the hunter a full check as he gently wiped away the last of the blood from the man's face, he frowned as he spotted a small puncture wound at Dean's throat, exposed by his cleaning.

On further inspection there in fact appeared to be two wounds, very close together. Reaching out to touch them, Castiel gasped at the sudden assault to his senses.

Pain…

Screaming...

Blood.

Wrenching his hand away from the hunter's burning skin, Castiel staggered backwards, crashing into the small table behind him. Struggling for breath, the angel watched as Dean thrashed violently upon the bed, groaning in pain.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing, sigh…

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… Set after Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers. Warnings for bad language. Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic. Please read and review: you'll encourage me to write even quicker… haha! =)

_'Hell's Most Wanted'_

Chapter Three

Lucifer sensed the moment his spell was triggered. The pure rush of adrenaline that flooded his system as his vessel absorbed the Winchester's blood was… _heaven_. He laughed at his choice of words, the crackle of electricity thrumming through his bones making his teeth chatter as the primordial blood magic finalised its hold on him.

He spared a moment to wonder if the magic's effect was so pleasurable for Dean. _Ha_, he hoped not… But now the key part of his plan was in place and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it. Who would have thought trading blood could be so much fun…

Turning to the demon standing before him, the fallen angel couldn't help but grin at the look of utmost terror on the man's face. Was he really that scary, little old him?

'Do you understand what I need you to do?'

His only answer was a slight nod; the demon's face growing paler as he watched the Devil himself hold out a wicked looking blade as an offering.

'Use it well. I won't give you this opportunity again.'

* * *

Castiel shook himself off and reached for the thrashing figure on the bed, holding the hunter down as he placed two fingers upon the young man's head and compelled him into a deeper sleep.

Dean's body immediately relaxed, his sudden stillness in the now quiet room more terrifying than the seizure had been, and Castiel had to fight against the need to wake him up again, just to be sure he was okay.

When Sam arrived back at the motel room half an hour later carrying a brown, greasy bag he found the angel sitting awkwardly in a chair alongside Dean's bed, watching intently as his brother slept soundly.

'How's he doing, Cas?' he whispered so as not to disturb the slumbering hunter.

Shutting the door quietly behind him, Sam watched the look of uncertainty momentarily cloud the angel's features before his stoic mask fell quickly back into place.

'There is no change.'

It was a lie, but Castiel had no other answer. Not yet.

Dean chose that moment to stir, the hushed whispers prickling at his senses. He couldn't help the slight groan that escaped his lips as he opened his eyes to the bright glare of the light bulb hanging directly above his head. Blinking to clear his vision, he felt the twin stares directed at him from the other two occupants in the room.

'Dude, take a picture. It'll last longer,' he croaked grumpily, his throat dry. Sitting up quickly, he glared as the angel attempted to help him stay upright. 'I'm fine, Cas.'

Castiel bit his tongue at the angry remark that threatened to escape, the need to smack his charge upside the head almost becoming an overwhelming urge. A shudder ran through him at the memories of the strange images that had befallen him, his skin crawling, and without realising it he moved away from Dean and settled himself over the other side of the room.

Dean frowned, but thought nothing more of it, resuming his attempt at getting to his feet. 'You heard from Bobby yet, Sammy?' he questioned, before looking down at himself and realising he was dressed in only his boxers. 'Dammit, Cas. What have I told you about taking my clothes off?'

Sam laughed and rolled his eyes at the angel's almost guilty look, grabbing Dean's bloodied shirt from the floor and throwing it at his brother who caught it one-handed. Spying the bloodied mess, the shirt beyond repair, Dean threw it over his shoulder onto the bed and headed into the bathroom.

'Bobby's got a lead on Lucifer,' Sam remarked casually, catching his brother's eye as he returned from the bathroom fully clothed in jeans and a white T-shirt. 'And he's confirmed the information Cas gave us about the bounty on your head.'

'I guess we'll have to watch our backs a bit more than usual, then.' Dean shrugged, grabbing his bag from beside the bed and checking that he'd packed everything that he came with. 'We ready to leave?'

Castiel looked ready to say something but seemingly thought better of it. He was getting better at the whole 'biting his tongue' thing, Dean thought with a chuckle.

'Cas, would you mind taking me back to my motel room? We left in a hurry and I didn't get a chance to grab the laptop.'

The angel nodded his consent at Sam as Dean agreed to meet them by the car in ten minutes.

Striding purposefully over to the younger Winchester, Castiel took one final look at Dean before pressing his fingers to Sam's forehead, the pair disappearing with a flutter of wings.

Dean watched the empty space they'd occupied moments before, the angel's searing glare freezing him in place. The '_be careful'_ remained unsaid but Dean heard it perfectly clear. Snapping out of his daze, the hunter headed for the door. Just how much trouble could he possibly find in ten minutes, anyhow?

* * *

Dean whistled tunelessly to himself as he loaded his gear into the car, enjoying the first signs of the impending sunshine peeking through the clouds and reflecting off the shiny black metal of the Impala. It was set to be a bitchin' hot day, he thought, grinning at the realisation that sun meant half-naked girls in bikinis and little else.

He'd parked his precious baby adjacent to a nearby alley those few short hours ago that he'd arrived here. Maybe when they reached Bobby's he could spare a few minutes to give her a clean. All these hours driving along hot, dusty roads were a bitch on the paintjob.

Dean caught a glimpse of movement behind him in the car's shiny surface, distracting him from his perverted thoughts, instantly on alert as his hand went for the gun at his waistband. The skin on the back of his neck prickled as he whirled to face whoever was behind him, gun cocked and ready to fire, but even with his well-honed hunting skills he was a moment too slow.

The dull thud as the knife buried itself hilt-deep into the shoulder of his gun arm made him jerk in surprise, knocking him back against the car, his grip loosening on his gun as it clattered to the floor. His suddenly off-balanced body joined it an instant later.

Cursing furiously, Dean scrabbled to regain his gun from his awkward position on the rough ground but his fingers refused to gain a grip, the sound of heels crunching on gravel ringing in his ears.

Looking up, the hunter was stunned by the leather-clad woman before him. She was a demon, that much was obvious, but she emitted an aura of pure power, sex and one hell of an attitude.

She was tall and slim, with startling green eyes and unnaturally fiery red hair that billowed in the slight breeze as she stalked towards him. Dean's eyes fell upon the gun in her delicate hands, the powerful weapon aiming directly at his head. She was close enough that even being the world's worst shot would still guarantee a direct hit.

'Well, well, well… Dean Winchester,' she drawled as she stopped before him, one slim leg kicking out to knock his gun into the alley and further out of the hunter's reach. 'Where have you been, doll? We've all been looking for you.'

Dean scowled at the demon with contempt, eyeing the knife sticking out from his shoulder as he dragged himself upright with his good arm and rested his back against his car. At least it didn't hurt… _yet_.

'Hey there, have we met?' He gave one of his most dazzling smiles as he reached for the blade buried in his shoulder.

'Tut tut, not so fast, cutie pie,' she growled, her leg lashing out again to pin him by the throat, her gun now aimed squarely between his eyes.

Although her sandaled foot wasn't crushing hard enough to cut off his breathing entirely, the pressure was enough that Dean struggled to draw in a breath without a large amount of effort on his part. _Freakin' demons…_

'A little birdie told me Lucifer has a plan for you, Deano,' the woman taunted, flexing her brightly painted toes to caress the underside of the hunter's chin. 'He's finally going to get little Sammy to say yes…'

'Over my dead body,' Dean snapped, wheezing as her foot pressed down harder. Black spots danced before his eyes, his vision blurring. If the bitch didn't have that damn gun in his face, he'd have kicked her ass already.

'He's been clever this time, Dean,' she confided. 'Soon even you will beg your brother to say yes.'

Her words ringing loudly in his ears, the demon lowered her foot and gripped the hilt of the knife in her slim fingers. With a malicious smile she ripped the blade from his shoulder and took a step back. 'Well _hell_, take a look at that…'

Dean was long accustomed to pain, trusting it to be a part of his everyday life. Hell, he'd spent long enough on the wrong end of that sadistic bastard Alistair to know every possible definition of the word, intimately.

But this time he felt nothing.

Investigating his shoulder with trembling fingers, Dean found the rip in his shirt. Pulling the torn fabric away, he was amazed to discover his shoulder was whole; completely unmarked.

'What the hell…'

'Watch your back, Deano,' were the demon's final words before she turned and disappeared down the alley.

Climbing gingerly to his feet, dusting off his pants, Dean barely had time to throw on his jacket to cover the torn shirt before Castiel and his brother arrived.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing, sigh…

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… Set after Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers. Warnings for bad language and violence. Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic. Please read and review =)

A/N: My sincerest apologies for the incredibly long wait but RL's been a mother of a headache for the last month or so. I hope you'll find the wait worth it.

_'Hell's Most Wanted'_

Chapter Four

Castiel shifted uncomfortably in the back seat of the speeding Impala, the tension in the car palpable even above Dean's loud music and Sam's hurried keystrokes, but with neither brother seemingly willing to break the silence it was going to be an unbearably long drive.

Sam was back on the laptop, passing the time with whatever he'd found whilst surfing the net. Dean, however, had a death-grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles white, uncharacteristically quiet as Metallica blasted from the tape deck.

Knowing the journey to Bobby's was going to take a while, even with Dean breaking every speed limit known to man, Castiel seized the opportunity to leave, a flutter of wings the only evidence of his departure.

* * *

Lucifer bit back the growl of anger that threatened to erupt, forcing his vessel's face back to neutrality before he turned to the redhead, his hands clenching into fists as he imagined choking the life out of the woman before him.

'To what do I owe this pleasure, Celina?'

The female demon smirked, her strong features screwing up with the action. She tossed a strand of fiery hair over her shoulder before stalking towards him, heels clicking noisily on the wooden flooring.

'No need to be polite on my account, Lucy,' she drawled, standing directly before the fallen angel, arms crossed over her chest. 'I ran into your buddy, Dean Winchester, earlier today,' she admitted as she leaned into his personal space, dropping her voice as if sharing some conspiracy that no one else should hear.

Lucifer refused to react to the information, unwilling to let her see she was getting to him. 'Did you come here to bore me to death? I have a legion of followers that can do that for me any day of the week without your help, thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse me…'

He made as if to turn away but Celina grabbed his shoulder and forced him to halt. 'I'm not finished with you yet,' she smiled sweetly, digging her nails into his slowly decomposing skin, admiring the nail polish on her hand as she did so. 'And you're currently down one follower.'

The fallen angel grinned at the demon's impudence, shrugging off her grip as he stepped suddenly towards her and grabbed her around the throat. 'Don't mess with me, Celina,' he threatened, watching as her face turned an interesting shade of red. 'You remember what happened the last time you got in my way, don't you?' As he spoke he noticed her clothes were stained with the tell-tale sign of blood.

Celina snorted, catching her breath as Lucifer finally released his grip and pushed her away from him. 'But that's why I'm here, Lucy. I didn't kill your guy for no reason, you know. I want in on your little plan.' She pulled out the knife he'd given to his demon earlier in the day and twirled it casually in the air before catching it one-handed.

Lucifer paused mid-step as he let her words sink in, a sadistic smile creeping upon his face, his eyes twinkling as he beckoned her back towards him.

'Come with me,' he ordered, turning and leaving the room. Celina followed close behind.

* * *

Four excruciatingly long hours later, Dean parked the Impala with a groan and forced his stiff legs to work, climbing out of the car and stretching his cramped, aching body. The long drive had done nothing for his sour mood, his mind racing with unanswered questions, but luckily Sam had sensed his disposition and left him to stew. Heck, even Castiel hadn't felt like hanging around.

Bobby must have heard the car pull in, the door to the house opening to reveal the veteran hunter scowling in their general direction. Dean ignored his brother who was grabbing their bags from the trunk, darting past Bobby and his wheelchair with a quick hello and a murmured excuse of 'answering the call of nature' before racing upstairs to the restroom and locking the door behind him. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Dean went over to the sink and let the tap run for a few seconds before splashing his face with some cool water to soothe his aching eyes, the long drive having finally pushed him over the edge into exhaustion. He spied his drawn features in the small mirror and forced himself to look away, disgust evident in his features.

Shrugging out of his leather jacket, the hunter once again found the tear in his shirt and checked the skin beneath.

Still whole.

No blood.

He sure as hell hadn't imagined getting stabbed, so what was going on? The skank demon in the alley had mention that Lucifer had a plan, so was this part of it? But if so, where exactly did this fit into everything? Wasn't the whole point that Lucifer wanted him dead?

Pulling the hunting knife from where it rested on his belt, Dean contemplated the weapon for a heartbeat. The dim light in the bathroom couldn't disguise the sharp edge of the blade, and Dean had used the knife against plenty of fuglies in the past to know just how effectively it cut through skin.

Taking one final deep breath to steady his nerves, the hunter held his wrist out in front of him, his mind made up, his fist clenched to hide his trembling hands as he put knife to skin.

'Dean!'

A strong hand grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, dragging him backwards and off-balance, the unexpectedness of the move startling him into dropping the knife with a heavy thud to the floor. _Oh yeah, some great hunter he was_… Dean slammed bodily into the bathroom wall, the breath knocked from his protesting lungs as Castiel's fierce glare and strong, lithe body pinned him in place.

'Hey, Cas,' he choked out, forcing himself not to struggle against the angel, sensing it would only make matters worse.

'What do you think you're doing, Dean?' Castiel hissed, his frustrations evident in the set of his face and press of his body. Dean had never seen him so incensed.

'It's not what you think…' he tried to protest but was cut off by the angel's biting words.

'And what exactly do I think, Dean? What am I supposed to think when I find you with a knife at your wrist? Do enlighten me.'

Crap.

'Well when you put it like that…'

The angel sighed, releasing his grip on the hunter as he seemed to come to his senses, backing away to grab the knife from where it lay on the floor and hiding it from Dean's line of sight on the sink behind him.

'I was just testing a theory, Cas. Something's not right,' Dean continued to explain, straightening his clothes as he pulled away from the wall now that he could move. He watched his angel's carefully composed face, his blue eyes sweeping over Dean from head to foot as if to see for himself that he was in one piece.

'What is not right?'

Dean debated on what to reveal, having so few answers to his own questions without Castiel adding his own to the mess.

'Do you trust me, Cas?'

'Yes.'

Dean was momentarily stunned into silence. There was no hesitation to the angel's reply and looking into the man's honest blue eyes he knew it to be the truth.

'Then give me the knife.'

Castiel seemed to mull over the request before finally conceding and handing the knife to the elder Winchester, watching as Dean once again held the blade to his wrist.

'I ran into someone while you and Sammy were out,' Dean explained. 'A demon. She showed me something.'

As he spoke, Dean ran the sharp edge of the knife over the delicate skin of his wrist, his body tensing as if reacting to the pain he knew he should be feeling. Castiel could only stare as the knife bit far too easily into skin, waiting for the expected swell of blood.

None came.

Dean ran the knife across his wrist again, digging the blade in a little harder this time as if to prove a point, but still with no effect.

'I don't understand,' Castiel admitted, a look of confusion written all over his face.

'Neither do I, Cas, but I know it has something to do with Lucifer. The demon told me as much.'

'And you trust this…demon?'

Dean snorted, running a hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration. 'Not as far as I can throw her, you know that. But what if the bull she's saying is true? What if Lucifer somehow uses me to make Sammy say yes? I can't live with that outcome, Cas, I can't.'

'You should tell Bobby,' the angel suggested after a pregnant pause, allowing Dean time to compose himself. 'He may be able to help. I will see what else I can find out.'

Without another word, Castiel disappeared in a flutter of wings just as suddenly as he'd appeared. Sighing, Dean returned his knife to his belt and took one last look at his unmarked wrist before unlocking the door and heading down to see Bobby and his brother.

* * *

Celina followed warily behind the fallen angel, uncertain as to whether he planned on springing a trap when she least expected it. She still had the knife but knew it would do very little damage against the Devil himself. Not that she was worried… She'd had dealings with Lucifer before and survived mostly intact, but a demon could never be too careful around him.

'I have someone here you should meet, Celina,' Lucifer chuckled, interrupting her thoughts as he looked toward the warehouse doors and waited. She stepped up beside him and followed his line of sight, eyebrows raised in question as the doors were kicked open and a familiar tall figure marched into the building, gun raised.

'Sammy Winchester,' she drawled. 'How nice to finally meet you face to face.'

* * *

'Bobby, where's Sam? We need to talk,' Dean called as he stepped into the room, looking around for his brother but not spying him nearby.

'What'd you do, Dean? Fall into the toilet?' Bobby grouched, swinging his chair around to face the eldest Winchester. 'Sam's gone.'

Dean frowned, not sure he'd heard the old man right. 'Gone where?'

'I don't know, you idjit. He got a phone call and left about five minutes ago.'

'And you didn't think to ask where he was going?' Dean yelled, irritation evident in his words.

'Watch your tongue, boy,' the hunter warned, whacking into Dean's legs with the wheel of his chair. 'What happened to your shirt?'

Dean was momentarily thrown by the change of subject and gave Bobby a blank stare. The veteran hunter rolled his eyes and gestured towards the tear in the sleeve of his black shirt.

'Oh, that. That's what I was coming down here to explain,' Dean grinned sheepishly. 'But I need to find Sammy; he needs to hear–'

Dean's words choked off amidst a gasp of pain as he stumbled backwards, clutching at his chest. Bobby froze, unsure of what was happening until he saw Dean pull his hand away covered in blood.

'No, no, no… This isn't supposed to happen…' Dean muttered as he fell against the wall, his feet giving way beneath him as he slid heavily to the floor.

Bobby's throat went dry at the fresh smear of blood that coated his wall behind the young hunter.

To be continued…

A/N: Eek, the action's coming, be warned! Read and review, let me know your thoughts. Any guesses yet? Next chapter coming soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I still own nothing, sigh…

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… Set after Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers. Warnings for bad language and violence. Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic. Please read and review =)

A/N: Not many chapters left now. Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and encouraged, it's greatly appreciated!

_'Hell's Most Wanted'_

Chapter Five

Sam paused outside the unfamiliar warehouse, doubt eating away at him. If Dean knew what he was planning right now it wasn't likely to end well.

After the excruciatingly uncomfortable journey to Bobby's, Dean had disappeared inside without a word. Something was definitely going on with his brother but until he came to the decision to share it with Sam he knew there was no point in pushing him for an explanation. They'd been down this path before, a countless number of times and it had always ended the same. Dean would come to him when he was ready.

He just hoped he survived what he was about to do in order to be around for that conversation.

Pulling the gun from his waistband, the cool metal a blessed relief against his sweaty palms, the youngest Winchester took one last cursory glance around the area to ensure there were no witnesses to his unsavoury actions.

The area was eerily deserted, the building as ramshackle as they came; dark gaping holes and smashed glass where windows once sat. The parking lot was empty except for a sparse few leaves and the odd scattering of trash littering the floor. A startled rat skittered across the gravel in front of Sam causing his pulse to spike, heart thundering in his chest.

It was a set-up.

That much was obvious, and yet here he was - willingly walking straight into it. Sam should never have answered that call.

Without wasting another second on the cacophony of thoughts swirling around his head, Sam walked over to the warehouse entrance and straight through the double doors.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust from the bright glare of the outside sunshine to the dark gloom of inside the building. His gun raised, Sam took in his surroundings with practiced ease. He sighted the two figures near the other end of the room almost instantly, the uncontrollable burn of anger that overcame him around the fallen angel rising rapidly within.

Lucifer.

The hunter didn't recognise the red-headed woman standing beside him, and in fact he didn't care. Ignoring her as she drawled some sarcastic greeting in his direction, she barely registered on his radar.

Without missing a heartbeat, Sam aimed at the Devil himself and fired, the shot echoing loudly within the spacious building.

* * *

Fighting through the fog of pain and confusion, his shoulder burning with an agonising fury, Dean forced his attention back to the worried face before him. Bobby's grave look of concern reminded him of where he was, what had happened.

Hissing at the fresh stab of pain, Dean growled out his frustrations as he ran a searching hand over the wound at his shoulder. It was a damn bullet hole. But how the hell had he been shot?

'Dean?' Bobby called gruffly, voice choked with concern as his hands automatically reached for the shotgun stationed conveniently close by on his kitchen table.

'I'm okay, Bobby,' Dean finally choked out, gritting his teeth against the fresh bite of pain as he tried to get to his feet. He'd been shot before but this felt different… wrong. The ache radiated from his shoulder all the way through to his chest, sending a cold shudder through his body.

'You're bleeding all over my floor, boy. You're sure as hell not okay,' the elder hunter snarled sarcastically. 'What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?'

Finding his way unsteadily to his feet, Dean grimaced at the sight of his blood covering Bobby's wall, his hand held firmly to his shoulder to staunch the flow. A soft flutter of wings announced the return of Castiel who took in the scene before him in silence. Without waiting for permission, the angel approached Dean and pulled the hunter's hand away from his injury, frowning as he laid his own cold hand over the wound.

Dean felt himself unconsciously relax under the gentle healing touch of his angel, relieved that he'd returned – not that he'd ever admit his thoughts to anyone. The pain eased considerably but not fully, his angel's mojo not up to its usual standards. Castiel caught his eye but said nothing.

'_Well_?' Bobby snapped, impatiently breaking the silence as he gripped with the shotgun in his lap.

'There is no time to explain,' Castiel answered for his charge. 'We must get to Sam before he does something we will all regret.'

* * *

Lucifer watched as the bullet flew from the gun seemingly in slow motion, a bemused expression on his decomposing face. If it continued on its current trajectory it was a certain kill shot. His grin grew larger at the thought.

Celina also watched the bullet, freezing as it grew closer and realised with a start just how good an aim Sam had. When it struck home, her plan would be ruined. Jostling Lucifer out of the way, disguising the movement as if she were ducking for cover, she wasn't quite fast enough as the bullet sliced into the fallen angel's shoulder.

Lucifer growled low in the back of his throat as he realised Celina had interfered, the demon obviously more trouble than she was worth. Making a mental note to rid himself of her presence, he eyed his unmarked shoulder with a satisfied smirk.

'You should watch where you're aiming that thing, Sammy. You don't know who you might hit.'

The smirk on the fallen angel's face only served to incense Sam further. He knew his gun was useless against Lucifer but his thoughts were becoming less than rational, every second spent in the Devil's presence sending the tenuous hold on his rage spiralling away far into the distance. Throwing the gun aside he pulled the knife from his waistband and flexed his shoulders.

'I'm going to kill you, no matter what it takes.'

Without waiting for a response Sam rushed forwards, knife raised.

* * *

'Cas, how are you doing?'

The angel turned to face Dean who was alternating between concentrating on his driving and throwing the angel concerned looks, tearing his eyes away from the scenery rushing past on the outside of the Impala's window. They'd left Bobby's a few minutes back, the old hunter threatening to hunt them down himself if they didn't bring Sam back in one piece and give him some sort of explanation.

'I am fine, Dean. We need to hurry.'

Dean bit back the sigh that threatened to escape, returning his concentration to the road ahead. They both knew Castiel wasn't fine. Even only partially healing the wound to his shoulder had drained more of the angel's power than he was letting on. Dean could see it in the sickly pallor of his vessel's face. It was the precise reason Dean had suggested they take the car instead of allowing Cas to use his mojo and it only added to his worry that the angel had agreed without hesitation.

'Do you know exactly where we're going?'

Castiel thought for a moment before answering. It was true, he didn't know exactly where Sam was, the etchings on his ribs keeping him well hidden, but he'd discovered signs that would lead him to believe he was at a nearby abandoned warehouse. It all added up, if Bobby's account was true. Sam had received a call less than ten minutes ago. He couldn't have gone far on foot.

'We're nearly there. Dean –'

His words were cut off as Dean yelped in sudden pain, losing his grip on the steering wheel as he slumped forward, clutching at his stomach. Castiel grabbed for the wheel as the Impala swerved recklessly towards the side of the road, the wheels clipping the sidewalk as the angel fought for control over the speeding vehicle.

'Dean!'

Consciousness threatening to fade, Dean could vaguely make out his name being shouted by someone but it sounded like it was coming from far away. A new wave of pain hit him as he felt heat slice down his back, the familiar stinging burn of a knife cutting into flesh assaulting his senses. With a small sigh of relief, the hunter felt his awareness starting to dull, his eyes drooping shut as unconsciousness clawed its way to the forefront.

The last thing he heard before everything faded was the screech of metal as the Impala impacted with something solid, his head bouncing off the steering wheel and then nothing.

To be continued…

A/N: What a place to leave it… I'm so mean! *evil laugh inserted here* Has anyone figured out what's happening to poor Dean yet? Please review, let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Seriously? I still own nothing? Sigh… Fine, if you insist.

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… Set after Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers. Warnings for bad language and violence. Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic. Please read and review =)

A/N: One step closer to the end... Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and encouraged, it's greatly appreciated! Warnings for language and violence! Be warned...

_'Hell's Most Wanted'_

Chapter Six

Sam screamed, the primal roar of hate, anger and pain ricocheting noisily around the warehouse. Pulling the knife from the fallen angel's gut, his actions causing not so much as a smile from Lucifer, the younger Winchester paused to wonder why the Devil was simply standing there, hands behind his back.

'Fight me, you son of a bitch!' he screamed, feeling the burn of his words at the back of his throat. Punching out with a closed fist, he saw Lucifer rock back on his heels at the blow before righting himself and returning to his impassiveness.

'Sam, wait!'

As much as it pleased her to see Lucifer with a knife rammed into his gut, Celina knew she needed to act quickly. It may already be too late. She needed to salvage what was left of her plan, and quick.

Throwing a helpless glance at the demonic red-head, Sam lunged once again at the Devil, ducking behind him and slashing the knife down the man's unprotected back. He didn't even draw the faintest drop of blood.

**_What the…?_**

Without warning, tiring of the pointless charade, Lucifer spun on his heels and gripped Sam around the throat, knocking the useless knife from the hunter's hand with a flick of his wrist. Squeezing tight enough to cut off his air supply, the fallen angel revelled in the sight of the young hunter's reddening face, leaning in closer until their faces touched.

'I called you here for a reason, Sam,' he intoned gently, breathing in the intoxicating scent of the Winchester's fury. 'I want you to say yes.'

'G-go…t-to…Hell!' Sam wheezed with his last free breath, feeling the room begin to fade from sight as his lungs fought for desperately needed air and his vision began to shut down.

'Lucifer!' Celina snapped with a warning growl, earning herself a glare of hatred from the Devil.

'I think I may just have found the way to make you change your mind, Sammy,' he teased humourlessly, ignoring his demon counterpart. 'How's your dear angel-bait brother holding up these days?'

The Devil smiled, knowingly, laughing quietly to himself. 'I think you should have a nice little heart-to-heart with dear big brother and then get back to me. I'll be waiting for your call.'

Signalling the end of their conversation, Lucifer released his grip without warning and Sam collapsed in a heap on the grimy warehouse floor, flailing like a fish out of water as he greedily sucked in precious air and massaged his bruised throat whilst gasping and choking.

Lucifer turned to a cowering Celina as he started to leave, a look of disgust marring his already distorted face as he seemed to struggle to find the words to convey her stupidity in crossing him

'We have unfinished business,' he declared after a long pause. 'You and I… I will see to you later.'

Without another word, he disappeared.

* * *

Dean felt it the moment consciousness dared to return.

Not the pain. There was plenty of that, but pain was something he'd become strangely acclimatised to over the years and for the moment his body was blissfully numb. It was gonna hurt like Hell in a moment, but for now that was the last thing on his mind.

No, what he felt was fear. Fear for Cas who was strangely silent beside him; fear for his brother, because whatever had just happened he knew without a doubt that it had something to do with Sammy, and an increasing terror of Lucifer and whatever cock-eyed scheme he was currently playing out.

Unable to remain motionless, his hunter instincts kicking in, Dean tried to sit up and open his eyes but the pain hit him all at once and he lost his fight against remaining calm and in control, instantly regretting his decision to move. His heartfelt groan of agony pierced his aching brain and he had to fight to control his panicked breathing, gripping the steering wheel with one hand and clutching at his throbbing head with the other. He couldn't bring himself to touch the acidic burn at the wound to his stomach, and the thought of how much energy it would take to even think of checking his back was enough to make Dean want to die right there and then in his beloved car.

'…Dean?'

All thoughts of the Impala fled his mind as Castiel's small, cracked voice met his ears, the sound barely audible even in the unnaturally silent car. The angel exuded an aura of sheer weariness that could be felt from where he was sitting, slouched in the passenger seat with blood covering one side of his face, and it sent a shot of fear straight to the hunter's heart. Forcing down the scream of pain that threatened to erupt and swallowing thickly against the rising nausea in the pit of his stomach, Dean turned slowly to face Castiel and saw the angel reaching a trembling hand toward him.

'Cas…?'

Dean had to swallow twice before he could choke out the angel's name, his eyes fluttering closed as he felt Castiel's cool, clammy hand touch his head with the barest of contact. Almost immediately, as if a circuit breaker had been thrown, Dean felt his pain easing away. The release from the agony was exhilarating and almost enough to knock him out once again but the realisation at what Castiel would sacrifice to heal him jolted him awake.

'Cas, stop!'

Flinging the angel's hand away, Dean tried to back away but doubled over in his seat clutching at his stomach, the feel of his skin knitting itself back together causing him to gag. The faint echo of a memory assaulted him; fire burning down his back, blood soaking his shirt, hands clutching at the fire in his gut… but just as suddenly it was gone.

With his head a little clearer and the pain reduced to a consistent dull throb, Dean rounded on Castiel in anger but froze as he watched the angel slump unconscious in his seat, head resting against the shattered passenger window.

'Damn it, Cas…'

Taking in his whereabouts and forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, Dean climbed gingerly out of the car, biting back a hiss of pain as the movement jarred his partially healed injuries. Pulling his leather jacket more firmly around his body, offering Castiel a silent prayer of thanks, he started limping steadily towards the looming warehouse. He couldn't help but glance back momentarily at his car, a small wail escaping past his lips as he noticed the huge dent and deep scratches to the paintwork on the driver's side, not to mention the broken windows and bloodstained seats.

**_Someone was going to pay for this_**, he growled to himself.

* * *

Sam rested his head against the floor as he waited for the room to stop spinning, his breathing still ragged. Quiet footsteps close by reminded him that he wasn't alone.

'What's your part in all of this?' he whispered hoarsely, swallowing against the pain as he climbed to his feet. The room started its disorienting spin and he stumbled, only for a strong hand on his arm to steady him. He looked into the demon's bright eyes and took a step back, shaking off the feel of her cool touch.

'I'm no part of this, Sam,' Celina promised, pushing a strand of red hair behind one ear. 'Lucifer and I have a…history, but let's leave it at that. I'm here because I want to help.'

'…Sammy?'

Sam's sarcastic retort to the woman was cut off at the sound of his brother's voice.

'Dean? How did you find me? I -'

Sam watched as the warehouse door shut behind his brother with a gentle thud. Dean had his gun raised, a look of confusion colouring his face as he caught sight of the demon beside Sam, followed by a determined glare as he stalked towards them.

'Cas helped, he's in the car. What are you doing here…with **_her_**?'

Sam could sense the air of distrust clinging to his brother.

'I can look after myself, Dean. I don't need you to baby-sit me anymore.'

'So you think it's okay to run off with the first skank-faced demon you meet without telling me? Without even telling Bobby?'

Sam was suddenly glad his brother hadn't guessed who he was really meeting in the warehouse. That wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to.

'Dean, I –'

'I don't want to hear it, Sam. We'll talk about this later, not in front of that **_thing_**. Come on, let's get out of here.'

Celina bit back a growl of anger at Dean's insults and the way he spoke as if she weren't even there. How she wished she could scratch the smug bastard's eyes out… But, no. She still had a plan, and unfortunately it wouldn't work without the elder Winchester.

'I can help you, Sam,' she called to the retreating figures. 'And you too, Deano. Like it or not, you know I can help.'

Sam looked at his brother, noticing for the first time the slight limp he was trying to hide as he walked. Dean turned to face him and Sam saw the lines of pain and exhaustion etched around his eyes.

'We can take her back to Bobby's with us,' Sam suggested quietly. 'If she's playing us we can kill her. One demon's no match for three hunters, right?'

Dean glanced at the red-head and grimaced.

'Okay, but we're not taking my car.'

'You're going to make me walk?' Celina snorted indignantly.

'Dean, I'm sure she won't hurt your car…' Sam started but Dean cleared his throat nervously and shrugged his shoulders.

'I, uh, kinda had an accident on the way here…'

* * *

'You brought a demon to my house? Ya idjits!'

Bobby's scowl spoke louder than his words, that and the shotgun lying carefully across his knees as he wheeled backwards into the room, the brothers following close behind a silent Celina as she tried not to spook the old hunter.

'What the hell were you thinking?'

Dean ignored the demon, his brother and Bobby as he stumbled to the couch and collapsed with a half-sigh, half-groan, making sure his jacket concealed the worst of his blood-covered shirt. He ignored the pointed look Sammy gave him and closed his eyes, resting his pounding head against the back of the chair as he wondered just how much longer he would have to stay awake – the events of the last 24 hours and the knock to the head were seriously catching up with him - and then he wondered where Castiel had disappeared to. He'd gone to check on the angel before they'd started the walk back to Bobby's but there'd been no sign of him in the Impala.

'She's going to help us, Bobby.' Sam started to explain but the hunter cut him off.

'Help you with what? Not one of you idjits has explained a damn thing since you got here. You'd better start talking now or so help me, I'll shoot the lot of you.'

Sam looked at his brother, who looked like he was about to pass out where he sat, and decided he should probably be the one to explain. He told the elder hunter of the attack on Dean at his motel room, the consequent phone call from Lucifer and his meeting at the abandoned warehouse.

Dean's eyes opened at the mention of Lucifer, his pain-filled face suddenly a stoic mask as he climbed slowly to his feet.

'You met with Lucifer?' he growled threateningly at Sam, taking a step towards him.

Sensing a fight about to break out, Bobby interrupted the boys before things kicked off.

'So what's that thing got to do with any of this?' he asked, gesturing in the demon's direction with the barrel of his gun.

Celina took that as her opportunity to speak up.

'I'm here to help you kill Lucifer,' she announced with a grin, stepping between the brothers and forcing them apart.

'And how exactly are you going to do that?' Bobby drawled, suspicion evident in his voice, gun raised to point at her chest.

'Like this!'

Before any of the hunters could react, the red-head gave Sam a hard shove from behind. He toppled forward into the elder hunter's wheelchair, blocking Bobby from taking a shot at the demon as she spun on her heels and pulled a concealed knife from the waistband of her pants. Dean, strung out on pain and lack of sleep, could only flinch as the knife came at him, reacting at the last second to block the swing of the blade. He felt it scrape along his collarbone before a swift uppercut to the jaw knocked him off balance.

'No!'

'Dean!'

Bobby pushed Sam away in an effort to free up his weapon, but it was too late.

Celina knocked Dean to the floor and followed him down. Without the slightest hesitation she stabbed him in the chest, a wicked grin on her face.

A/N: So, yeah. Dean seems to get hurt a lot in this one... But, hey! I just can't help myself :) More coming soon! Read and review!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Seriously? I still own nothing? Sigh… Fine, if you insist. But I've added the boys to my Christmas list. You know, just in case you were struggling for ideas :)

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… Set after Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers up until this. Warnings for bad language and violence. Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic.

A/N: I hope everyone is still enjoying? Huge thanks to everyone that's been regularly reviewing - you make writing this even more enjoyable.

_'Hell's Most Wanted'_

Chapter 7

In a blind panic Sam scrabbled across the floor and threw himself at the leather-clad demon currently straddling his brother's prone body. He used far more force than was necessary but he wanted that _thing_ as far from Dean as he could get her. **_What was he thinking? Why the hell had they brought her back to the house?_** They both fell hard into the table, Celina's head cracking unceremoniously against the solid wood, and Sam followed through with a vicious punch to her jaw.

She was unconscious in an instant.

'Bobby, keep an eye on that thing. Shoot it if it so much as moves,' Sam growled hoarsely, rubbing at his bruised shoulder as he turned his attention back to his brother and crawled to his feet.

The familiar flutter of wings announced Castiel's arrival, the angel stumbling a little as he looked around the room. Without so much as a word of greeting he was on his knees by Dean's side, blocking their view of the eldest Winchester. Unsteady fingers gripped the handle of the knife as he appraised Dean's condition. There was no blood, not from the knife wound at least, but the angel spied the tell-tale signs of their earlier incident; blood staining his black shirt and the waistband of his jeans, leaving the visible patch of skin between both a stained, mottled mess.

Dean blinked slowly, eyes wide, skin pale and clammy as he struggled to draw in a breath. He gave a strangled cry as he gripped the lapel of Castiel's trench coat, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he started to lose his hold on consciousness. The knife had pierced Dean's left side deeply, hitting his lung but luckily missing his heart by a short distance. Although Castiel was glad to see the knife had caused no physical damage, he was sure Dean wasn't finding breathing too easy at that moment.

'Cas, can you help him?' Sam begged, unable to move as he watched the angel from behind, unaware of what was happening. He couldn't force his legs to move for a clearer view. He'd seen his brother die too many times already, more than any sane person could surely handle. He didn't need to see it all over again. He turned to Bobby, the trembling elder hunter meeting his worried gaze, the unconscious demon long forgotten.

Castiel slid the blade from Dean's chest, throwing the weapon to one side as he ran his hands over his charge to check for any further damage, his face an impassive mask as Dean gulped in desperately needed air. Apart from a tear to his shirt, he seemed fine. Even his leather jacket had escaped damage.

'How are you feeling?' Cas enquired after a moment as he helped him climb to his feet, but Dean didn't get the chance to answer as he was grabbed by an overzealous Sam.

'I didn't think Cas would be able to heal you this time, man,' he admitted, crushing his brother in a desperate hug. Even Bobby let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, finally returning his attention fully to the demon on the floor. Seeing the attack on Dean had left him more shaken than he cared to admit. He sent a prayer of thanks skyward and shifted slightly in his wheelchair.

Dean threw the angel a knowing look as he pushed Sam away, wincing as he jarred his earlier partially healed injuries.

'I'm fine, Sam. What are we going to do with her?'

Although he genuinely wanted an answer to his question, revenge against the demon bitch high up on his agenda for the day, Dean's main focus immediately switched to the exhausted angel swaying on his feet beside him. Grabbing Castiel's arm, he led him to the sofa and forced him to sit, noticing for the first time the weeping gash to the side of his head from the car crash. It made him glad to not have needed the angel's healing mojo. He didn't know how much more Cas could handle without crashing and burning in a spectacular explosion, especially if he was unable to heal even such a minor head wound. It must have taken more out of him than he'd first realised, healing him as much as he had that first time in the car.

Muttering a curse under his breath, Dean rubbed a hand over his sore ribs and turned to the unconscious demon, a determined scowl on his face.

* * *

Bobby wheeled himself from the room, Sam a few steps behind as they left Dean and Castiel to talk. Celina was currently bound as securely as possible to a chair and positioned directly over a Devil's Trap. Try as she might, she wasn't getting away any time soon. In the back of his mind Bobby seriously hoped she would try, just so he could hand out a well-deserved ass-kicking. He snorted at the thought, earning a frown from Sam.

'Quit your eyeballing and grab the salt, would ya?' he grouched, opening a drawer and rifling through the contents until he found what he needed while Sam set about covering the exits. They weren't taking any chances with the red-head, not today. They were going to lay salt lines to keep her confined on the off chance she managed to free herself.

They needn't have worried.

'**_Cas, what the hell?_**'

Dean's startled shout sounded from the other room. With a curse, Sam dropped the bag of salt and charged towards the raised voices. With a heartfelt sigh, Bobby slowly and patiently turned his wheelchair around, heading towards the room himself. The sight that greeted him was enough to make him pause, a large grin erupting before he could disguise it as he took up a position in the doorway beside Sam.

Their usually passive angel, overtaken by an uncharacteristic moment of rage, had a freshly-conscious Celina on her feet, the ropes that had held her wrists bound to the chair snapping under the brutal force of his actions. One hand was at her throat as he used his inhuman strength to throttle her. Dean, unsure of what to do, shot a look of disbelief at Bobby and his brother as he attempted to pull the immovable angel away but Castiel was having none of it.

'If you so much as touch either of the Winchester's again, I will bring the full force of my wrath down upon you, do you hear me? I will kill you slowly, in ways you would never believe possible,' he whispered calmly in her ear, his voice low enough that no one else in the room could hear him, not even Dean who was mere inches away. 'And then I will bring you back to life so I may do it all over again. Do you understand me?' Celina paled.

'Cas, seriously, you need to calm down before you kill her,' Dean warned half-heartedly, trying and failing miserably at sounding convincing.

'She attempted to kill you, Dean,' Castiel answered simply in response, as if that was all the excuse he needed as he tightened his grip. Celina could do nothing except choke, her face turning an interesting shade of red as she struggled to draw in enough air to stay conscious. She shot Dean a pleading look but he ignored her.

'I know that, Cas, but we need some answers from her first and we won't get any if you kill her. I'm sure she's feeling rather talkative right about now, aren't you, darling?'

Celina nodded desperately, her face now an interesting shade of blue that matched the fresh bruise to her jaw.

Castiel seemed to consider this for a moment before he relented and released his grip. The demon fell back into the chair and smirked in short-lived victory. Quicker than she could react a punch knocked her senseless again, three sets of eyes staring at Castiel in disbelief as he straightened his trench coat and took a step back.

With a smirk of his own, Dean crossed his arms over his chest ad waited for Celina to right herself. When the demon met his stare, a look of defiance creeping back into her stance, he started his interrogation.

'Start talking.'

Celina took her time in answering, eyes scanning the room as if she were looking for a viable escape route. One glare from the pissed angel a few feet away quickly changed her mind on that particular plan of action.

'I told you before, Deano,' she grinned, a wicked glint in her eyes as she wiped at her bloody lip. 'Lucifer has a plan for you and Sammy.' She shifted awkwardly in her seat, rubbing the bruise along her jaw.

'Details.'

Sighing loudly, she began rocking on the back legs of the chair, fingers drumming noisily on the arm as she pointedly stared at Sam.

'He's going to make you say 'yes', Sammy. And he's using your brother as collateral.'

'I'll **_never_** say 'yes',' Sam promised defiantly, catching Dean's eye in a bid to ensure he knew the truth in his words. 'He'll have to kill me first.'

Celina gave a harsh laugh, dropping back on to all four legs of the chair.

'It's not you he plans on killing,' she admitted, snarling in contempt as she returned to drumming her fingers without a care in the world.

'What's his plan? How's Lucifer going to make me say 'yes'?' Sam forced himself to ask, not sure he wanted to hear her answer.

'It's already in place. The attack on Dean's motel room was just the beginning.' Once she'd started explaining Celina found no reason to stop. It wasn't as if they could do anything about it anyway. 'They injected Dean with Lucifer's blood, invoking an ancient Blood Magic.'

'Blood Magic?' Bobby interrupted, sitting forward in his seat. 'This just gets better.' The sarcasm was evident on his voice as he rolled his eyes at the revelation. Celina threw a disgusted look in his direction before she continued.

'This spell, it absorbs any harm caused to Lucifer and transfers it to Deano here.' Twisting in her chair to face Sam directly, she smiled sweetly. 'So when you attacked Lucifer in the warehouse it was your brother that paid the price.'

Sam choked, turning to face his brother who refused to meet his gaze.

'This works both ways, right?' Dean demanded, unconsciously rubbing his ribs as he pulled his jacket tighter around him. 'Anything done to me hurts Lucifer?'

Celina nodded.

'That's why I'm here. I want Lucifer dead just as much as you guys.'

'And you stabbing Dean earlier, that hurt the Devil?' Bobby queried, not quite believing the demon's story.

'For a moment, yeah it did. He's powerful, you know that already. One little knife wound to the ribs won't stop him for long, but he'll need to heal. And if it keeps happening, eventually it'll start to wear him down.'

'Hold on a second,' Sam butted in, straightening up from his position leaning against the doorframe. 'We shot him in the head and that didn't slow him down in the slightest.'

'He wasn't caught ass-deep in the throes of ancient Blood Magic at that point in time. Of course he could heal it.' Celina snorted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

'What are you getting out of this?'

Castiel's rough voice interrupted the Q&A session and the room fell silent. Celina bit down on her tongue in an effort to hold back the smart-ass retort that was desperate to escape. She figured she was already in deep enough shit without angering the angel any further.

'Look, I know you don't trust me and I know you won't necessarily believe what I'm telling you -'

'You're right.'

'-But I am trying to help. Let me prove it to you.'

Dean laughed at that one.

'Right, because the last time we trusted you I ended up with a knife in the ribs. You're one crazy persistent chick; I'll give you that one.'

'I can help you break the spell.'

Dean froze.

'Given time we can probably break it ourselves,' Bobby reasoned. 'But breaking a spell like this one isn't going to be easy. And it's likely to come at a price.'

'Too high a price,' Castiel answered for them all. 'It will be for the best to kill her now and be done with it. We can't trust a demon.'

'Cas, chill out,' Dean chuckled, climbing to his feet from the arm of the sofa where he'd been perched. 'How exactly do we break the spell?'

Celina debated on telling them a lie but quickly decided against it. If she expected them to trust her then she would have to give them reason to. She quickly explained in as much detail as she could remember, Castiel eyeing her suspiciously the entire way through. When she was finished she watched them expectantly.

'Well?'

'Well, what?' Bobby grouched.

'Well, haven't I earned your trust? Aren't you going to let me go so I can help?' Celina crossed her arms and pouted as she watched all four of them impatiently.

Dean raised an eyebrow at the demon and nodded slightly.

'Sure, we'll let you go. Cas?'

Castiel caught Dean's gaze and nodded. He stepped forward, reaching into his trench coat as he came to stand before the wary demon, pulling out his own knife and watching her face as the realisation sank in.

'Goodbye.'

Her cry of protest was quickly cut off, the angel wiping his blade on the bottom of his coat before he turned to face the others.

'Uh, I thought we were letting her go?' Sam frowned.

* * *

A/N: *grin* Silly Sammy =) So, I'm thinking there's only one more chapter left before this ends! How will it end? Well, that would be telling... Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated. Let me know what you think so far, what you think is going to happen, and if you think things are going to go to plan... Do they ever?


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Seriously? I still own nothing? Sigh… Fine, if you insist.

Summary: Lucifer's put a bounty on Dean's head and it's down to Sam and Castiel to keep the hunter safe… Set after Swap Meat so possibly a few spoilers up until this. Warnings for bad language and violence. Dean/Castiel, but nothing graphic.

A/N: Well, here it is - the final chapter. It's a long one, but you've earned it! Warnings for language and violence. If you think the rating needs to be changed, let me know... And don't forget to review :)

_'Hell's Most Wanted'_

Chapter 8

Dean stifled a yawn as he threw his leather jacket onto the bed and headed into the restroom. He could sense Castiel's presence behind him but ignored the angel for the moment, the same way he once again ignored his reflection in the mirror hanging tauntingly on the wall.

Moving carefully so as not to aggravate the aches and sore spots on his battered body he closed the door and started the shower, shutting out the angel and the comforting sounds of his brother and Bobby chatting loudly downstairs. He was seriously looking forward to relaxing, even if it was just for a few moments under the hot spray. Today had been…**_trying_**, to say the least. Dean snorted humourlessly at the understatement of the century, groaning as the action brought him a painful reminder of the assortment of bruises colouring him black and blue.

'Dean?'

Giving a long, resigned sigh, Dean felt the exhaustion from the day's events take hold, the melancholy shortly following. He couldn't even bring himself to answer Castiel's gentle call of concern as he dropped to his knees and rested his head against the door, taking a few deep breaths to clear his head.

He was running on empty and close to collapse, both mentally and physically. He'd had barely any sleep, his ass had been handed to him on a plate by a freakin' girl demon, and now, not only was he was under the influences of some pretty freaky magical mojo, but he was also preparing to play Chicken with the Devil. Oh, yeah – death wish, much?

'Dean…'

Castiel's soft, husky voice and the gentle hand on his shoulder startled the hunter, his breath hitching as he froze beneath his angel's touch. He half attempted to climb to his feet but couldn't force his protesting limbs to comply, slumping unceremoniously back against the door.

'Cas…'

Castiel heard the plea in Dean's cracked voice, certain it was the hunter's way of begging him to leave, but the angel couldn't bring himself to submit to the silent instruction. Instead, feigning incomprehension, he carefully knelt beside his weary charge and pulled him to his feet, using his free hand to open the door before leading them both over to the bed.

'Shower…stink…' Dean mumbled, only half conscious through the crippling wave of fatigue but Castiel ignored him.

'Rest,' he soothed, settling the hunter's bulk onto the mattress. It was disconcerting to see Dean asleep before his head had even hit the pillow, finally crumbling under the strain of the day's events, but if he allowed himself to admit it then he'd been expecting it for some time now. One man, a simple human, could only take so much, and although Dean wasn't your average everyday human, he was still only mortal and bound to succumb to their inherent weakness.

'I will watch over you until you wake,' he promised quietly, pulling the sheets up to cover the gently snoring hunter before standing guard at the corner of the room and settling himself in for a long wait. It was the least he could do.

Six hours later Dean woke with a start, biting back the yelp of pain as he jarred his tender ribs and various other bruised and sore body parts. The room was dark, the curtains concealing exactly how late it was, but once Dean had fought his way through the sleep-induced fog shrouding his brain, he knew he'd overslept.

Cursing passionately, he carefully rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up, running a hand through his short hair as he pulled at the grimy, blood-soaked shirt that clung mercilessly to his abused body. Reaching blindly for the bedside lamp, he found the switch with little fuss, squinting in the sudden glare of light that flooded the room and taking in the sight of Castiel standing in the corner. Biting down on the abrupt wave of snarkiness that threatened to erupt, Dean nodded in the angel's general direction and climbed slowly to his feet.

'How do you feel?' Castiel enquired, remaining motionless as his eyes followed the hunter's painful gait.

'I suppose I have you to thank for my extended rest period, huh?' Dean shot back, regretting his harsh words the moment they escaped.

'No, Dean,' the angel replied, calm and rational as always. 'It was not I that forced you to sleep. You have pushed yourself too hard and it was only a matter of time before you –'

The slamming of the restroom door ceased the angel's futile explanation. He heard the shower once again being switched on and decided Dean was rested enough to be left alone without collapsing again. Amidst a flutter of wings, he left.

Sensing the angel's absence, Dean stripped out of his clothes and climbed into the shower, unable to hold back the sigh of relief the steaming hot water brought to his body. He let himself soak for a good half hour before he attempted to scrub away the layers of grime, blood and dirt that coated his skin. He'd already slept away most of the evening, another hour or two freshening up wouldn't cause any harm, he figured.

* * *

At the sound of booted feet stomping down the stairs, Sam looked up from the book he was flicking through and smothered a grin at the irked look on his brother's face.

'Evening, Sleeping Beauty,' he smirked, closing the book and turning his full attention to him.

'Fuck you, Sammy' was the sharp reply as Dean walked past him into the kitchen.

Laughing outright now, Sam followed his brother into the room and grabbed a can of soda from the fridge.

'Slept well, I take it?'

'Dude, I'm not in the mood for your happy-cheerful bullshit right now, okay? Where's Bobby?'

'Right here, ya idjit,' a growl came from behind him. 'You used all the damn water.'

Bobby made sure to catch the back of Dean's legs as he wheeled past in his chair, hiding his own grin as stopped beside Sam. He wasn't really annoyed with the kid, in fact, his house smelled all the better for it. He was just glad Dean had finally gotten some well-deserved rest. The boy had looked about ready to keel over when he'd arrived earlier that evening, and after all that fuss with the demon in his living room…well, things weren't planning on getting any quieter this evening, no matter how late it was getting.

He hated the thought of bringing it up, but they had to act quickly before something else went wrong. Because you know, given the chance, it would…

'All caught up on your beauty sleep, Dean?''

'What's it to you, old man?' came the grouchy reply. 'It's not my fault no one woke me.' Dean grabbed a glass from the cupboard and let the tap run for a few minutes before filling it and taking a long, cool drink.

'Some of us have been going over the finer details of your jackass plan,' Bobby growled good-naturedly, motioning for Sam to take over, but before he could open his mouth Dean interrupted.

'Finer details, huh? You know as well as I do that this thing is never going to work.'

'Dean…' Sam attempted to convince his brother otherwise, but Dean was having none of it.

'Seriously, Sam. Us against the Devil? We both saw how flawed that plan was the last time, and now we're expected to take a demon's word on how to kick this guy's ass? Excuse me for not holding out much hope for us…'

Storming out of the kitchen, Dean threw himself onto the couch and turned on the TV.

Sam and Bobby shared a concerned look, both surprised at Dean's outburst yet understanding it at the same time. They silently joined him in the other room.

'Look, Dean,' Sam offered, flopping down on the seat next to his brother. 'I do realise how screwed we are, really, I do. But we've faced worse…' At Dean's disbelieving look, Sam smothered a grin. 'Okay, maybe not worse…but we've had worse plans, right?'

Dean had to acknowledge that one, snorting in agreement.

'So we'll do what we've always done; exactly what dad taught us. We'll go in there and kick some ass, Winchester style.'

The genuine look of determination on his brother's face helped Dean to surface from his fit of melancholy. Taking a deep breath he offered Sam a weak grin.

'You're right. Let's do this.'

* * *

'Remind me of the plan, again?' Dean growled in his brother's ear as they crept into the same warehouse from earlier, their weapons drawn. Sam had taken point, Dean a few steps behind and it cost them a tense few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness.

They needn't have worried; the building was eerily quiet, empty.

With a sigh, Sam threw a glare at his brother and repeated the plan in a hushed voice for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour. Dean wasn't usually this paranoid about things going wrong. It was starting to grate on his nerves, and if he was honest it had him a little worried himself.

'I call Lucifer, tell him I'm ready to give him my answer, and keep him distracted long enough for you or Cas to stab him with the syringe. It's not that difficult, Dean. Celina said that by injecting him with your infected blood it should be enough to break the spell. We've got two chances here so it's already better odds than usual. After that we just need to get the Hell out…preferably in one piece.'

'Cas isn't as strong as he used to be,' Dean muttered, more to himself than to Sam, but his brother sensed the note of concern in his voice. He wasn't naïve; he knew things between Dean and Castiel had changed. Their relationship had drastically evolved over the last year, although Sam wasn't certain on all the details. It wasn't really his business; whatever made his brother happy was good enough for him. But what he needed now was for Dean to pull it together; to drag himself out of this depressive funk he'd fallen into. His mind wasn't fully on the job and an attitude like that was what got people killed.

'Dean, snap out of it!' he hissed, the unexpected anger colouring his words. He half anticipated Dean to snap to attention like the good little soldier daddy had taught him to be, but instead he met his brother's angst-filled gaze and froze.

'I've got a bad feeling about this, Sammy,' Dean confided in a whisper so quiet that Sam almost missed it. Before he could think to reply, Dean blinked as if awakening from a daze and cleared his throat. 'We doing this?' Momentarily speechless, Sam could only nod. 'Then let's do it.'

Dean split off from his brother and jogged stealthily behind a stack of crates a short distance away, carefully fingering the blood-filled syringe in his jacket pocket as he took up position. Checking his watch, he idly wondered what was taking Cas so long in commandeering the lights; their plan pointless if they couldn't even see Lucifer when he arrived. Tapping his fingers nervously against the leg of his pants, he counted down the passing seconds.

Eventually, the crackle of electricity preceded the sudden bright glare of the fluorescent bulbs as they came to life. Peering over the top of one of the crates, Dean gave his brother the preordained signal.

'**_Here goes nothing_**,' Sam thought with a mirthless grin. Taking a deep breath, both eyes raised to the ceiling, the younger hunter couldn't help but feel a tad foolish as he called for the Lucifer. 'I'm here, you son of a bitch. Come and get your answer!'

Nothing happened.

Dean frowned and caught his brother's gaze. This was something they hadn't accounted for: Lucifer not showing. Waving his hand to signal that he should try again, Dean huffed out a breath in frustration.

'Hey, Lucifer!' Sam yelled, his voice bouncing wildly around the spacious room.

'I'm sorry, Sam. Lucifer can't come to the phone right now.'

Reality shuddered to a halt in gleeful anticipation. Sam could only stare in disbelief at the man that suddenly appeared before him, taking a guarded step back. Dean felt the shiver that ran down his spine all the way to his soul.

'Shit.'

'Ah, there you are, Dean.' Zachariah fired him his typical shit-eating grin as he straightened the lapels of his suit. 'We wouldn't want you to miss the party… You **_are_** the main guest after all.'

Realising it was pointless to keep up the charade Dean stepped out from behind the crates and took up a position by his brother's side.

'We're actually waiting for someone,' he sneered, the shock at finding the angel there dissipating as it was quickly replaced with anger. 'This is our party and you weren't invited.'

Zachariah feigned a hurt expression at Dean's harsh words, shattering the illusion almost instantly when he barked out a laugh and threw an arm around the eldest Winchester's shoulder.

'But don't you want to know why I'm here? Or how I found you even with your little pet angel's parlour tricks?'

Dean seemed to think it over for a second before shoving the angel away from him. 'Nope, not interested. Now get lost, will ya? No dicks with wings allowed.'

Zachariah's vessel froze, all humour gone from his face.

'Fine, we'll cut to the chase then, shall we?' Without waiting for a reply he continued, pacing as he spoke. 'I had a run-in with a certain brother of mine earlier this evening and he told me about a little game he's been playing with you boys. One I wish I'd thought of playing myself, if I'm honest.' He started to circle the brother's, enjoying the way they shifted their bodies so they wouldn't leave their backs unguarded. **_Their daddy taught them well…_**

'I'm merely here to offer my assistance in breaking the Blood Magic, Dean. You see, it's not all doom and gloom in my line of work after all.'

'Why would you want to help us?' Sam piped up, sharing a look of disbelief with his brother. 'What do you get out of it?'

Zachariah smiled, pausing in his effortless pacing to click his fingers, moments later revealing the syringe that Dean had been storing in his pocket.

'Contrary to popular belief, I do have your best interests at heart,' the senior angel chuckled, dropping the syringe to the floor and watching it shatter into a mess of blood, metal and glass. 'And that filthy little red-headed demon had you fooled with her cure for your little problem, Dean. This would have killed you in an instant.'

Sam felt the colour drain from his face as the realisation of what they'd almost done sunk in. He was suddenly glad that Castiel had killed the demon bitch, because if he'd gotten his hands on her now there was no guessing what he wouldn't have done.

'Now, I plan on having you at my feet one day, Dean,' Zachariah admitted, pausing for effect, 'bloody, beaten and close to your last breath. But I'll just have to wait a little longer. I'm here to break the Blood Magic so you can get back to what you're supposed to be doing, not that you seem to know what that is any more. I'm working with **_idiots_**!'

Dean swallowed hard and calmed the rush of thoughts shooting through his head.

'I'm not interested,' he said simply, ignoring the harsh intake of breath from Sam at his side.

'Dean, what the Hell?' Sam yelled in disbelief.

Castiel chose that moment to appear beside Zachariah, his dishevelled appearance more obvious next to the well-dressed vessel of his brother. His eyes were fever-bright, his tousled hair in its usual disarray and his suit crumpled and grubby, but he didn't say a word. That in itself was permission enough that he should do what he thought was best. At least Cas believed in him…

'I don't trust him as far as I can throw him,' Dean growled. 'He wouldn't be offering to help unless he could gain some sick, twisted pleasure out of it.'

'But Dean, we don't have another way to break the curse,' his brother growled back, grabbing him by the shoulder and forcing him to face him.

'You heard Bobby, we'll find it ourselves. It'll just take a little time-'

'Time you may not have!' Sam was outright screaming at him now, his face flushed with anger and disbelief. 'We can't even begin to understand the long-term effects of this curse, and do you really think the Devil would spring something like this upon us if it wasn't going to end badly for you?'

'I told you, Sam, I've got a bad feeling about this. We can't trust that dick, not now!' Dean was losing patience.

'Fun to watch, isn't it, dear brother?' Zachariah smirked as he stood beside Castiel. 'But I think it's about time to end it.' Clearing his throat loudly, the brother's paused mid-rant to throw him a dirty look.

'The decision was never yours to make.'

And with that, the angel once again clicked his fingers, the sound reverberating around the room like a gunshot fired at close range, deafening them all.

Dean stumbled, thrown off-balance by the wave of power that hit him as he fell to his knees. His skin was tingling all over, like his entire body was too close to an electrical current, and yet in the next second it was burning, itching as if on fire. Biting back the scream of pain, he held his breath until the shockwave passed, thankful when his body went blissfully numb.

'Dean?'

Castiel was at Dean's side before Sam had even uttered his name, running his eyes over the hunter's body to reassure himself that he was okay. Dean gave him a weak grin and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, wobbling a little unsteadily before bracing himself and shaking off the angel's helping hand.

Zachariah watched him a little too closely for comfort and Dean once again couldn't help but think this had seemed a little too easy on his part.

'Well?' The elder angel encouraged, eyebrows raised. Dean looked at him blankly.

'Well, what?'

'Are you not going to offer your gratitude? I just saved your pathetic life, boy!'

Dean snorted in contempt, about ready to shoot his mouth off when he was suddenly overwhelmed by a coughing fit. The harsh, racking coughs left him bent over double as he fought to draw enough air into his lungs. Sam started for his brother's side but felt powerful arms grip him from behind.

'Hey!'

Castiel looked up in surprise as Zachariah's goons appeared without warning, surrounding the group and cutting off all hope for escape. He attempted to block Dean from them but was rendered immobile himself as he was grabbed none too gently and pulled away from his charge. Zachariah laughed at their stunned faces, approaching Dean and kneeling down beside the hunter who was now back on his knees fighting for his next breath.

'Leave him alone, you son of a bitch!' Sam yelled, struggling fiercely against his aggressor but to no avail. 'You touch him and I swear to God I'll kill you!'

'Just try it,' Zachariah provoked, punching Dean in the ribs and knocking the hunter prone to the floor.

Dean couldn't even react to the fresh sensation of hurt, instinctively curling in upon himself, his mind solely upon forcing his lungs to work. The coughing had stopped temporarily but now the pain was returning full force. In the back of his mind a little voice was laughing at him and saying 'I told you so,' but he ignored it, sucking in a strained lungful of air. The rattling sound coming from his left lung had him more than a little concerned, but it was getting hard to concentrate on much as the room began to spin, his vision fading at the edges.

Zachariah knelt beside the gasping hunter and offered Sam and Castiel a gloating smile as he gripped Dean by his hair and yanked his head back so he could look into his eyes.

'Getting stabbed in the lung hurts like a bitch, doesn't it? Lucifer's spell may have protected you from your injuries for a time, but now it's broken. Can you feel the blood rushing in, Dean?' He yanked harder on the hunter's hair as he let his free hand explore Dean's shoulder, finding the first stab wound from Celina's knife. Digging his fingers in, they came away coated with blood. 'I can stop this pain, Dean,' he offered, eyebrows raised in anticipation. 'All you have to do is say yes to Michael and I will make this all go away. How about it?'

Dean could barely hear the angel's words, could hardly hear a thing above the pounding of his heart and the blood rattling around in his punctured lung. Even through his swimming vision, he could see Sam's distraught face as he fought against the angels holding him in place, keeping him away. Could see, even if he couldn't hear, the threats he was throwing at Zachariah.

He let his eyes wander to his angel. Castiel, his typically calm, emotionless falling angel…the one person he cared about as much as he did his little brother. He was going to miss them both…

'F-fuck…you,' he spat at Zachariah, tasting the blood on his lips and at the back of his throat as he was assaulted by another round of coughing. This one didn't last as long, his breath escaping with one final cough, but then no matter how hard he tried he couldn't catch his breath after that one.

'Fine,' Zachariah sneered, releasing his grip on the hunter and preparing to walk away.

'Dean!' Sam screamed his brother's name as he kicked and punched at everything within reach. 'Dean! You say yes, you son of a bitch! Please, just say yes!' He turned to Zachariah who was walking towards the doors. 'Save him, please? I'll do anything you ask! You can't leave him to die, save him!' he begged, tears running freely down his cheeks.

Castiel watched as Dean's eyes closed, his head lolling to one side, a thin trail of blood leaking from his open mouth. He'd seen death before, he'd even taken lives himself in the line of duty, but he'd always made sure it was a quick death; no suffering. He'd never seen something quite so… violent. It sickened him.

It sickened him that one of his brother's could allow something like this to happen in the name of their cause. It sickened him that their father, wherever he was, would allow his children to do this. It hurt, the thought that he was losing Dean. No, it terrified him. Because if Dean was gone, it would mean he had rebelled for nothing. Dean made it bearable, the doubting and the questioning…the turning his back on everything he'd ever believed in. Without Dean, he was nothing. Just another worthless pawn in someone else's game.

Overcome by despair and grief, Castiel used the last of his strength to knock away the hands that held him in place. Rushing to Dean's side he dropped to his knees and pulled the deathly still hunter into his lap, cradling his head against his chest. He could feel the warm, sticky blood on his hands, felt it as it soaked into his trench coat, but he paid it no attention.

Calling upon everything he had within him, praying with every last breath he could spare, Castiel reached for what little was left of his Grace and sent it towards Dean.

It wasn't enough.

Dean's eyes fluttered gently, his now blue lips opening to suck in a little air. Castiel felt his own tears falling, watching as they fell upon his hunter's deathly pale face. With a last small smile, Dean closed his eyes for the last time.

'No!'

Sam witnessed the final breath leave his brother's body and felt something die inside with him. All coherent thought left him as he sagged into the arms of the angels still holding him upright. Dean was dead… His brother was dead.

Zachariah smirked and continued in the direction of the door. **_Stubborn son of a bitch_**, he thought with a laugh.

'Wait.'

Castiel's deep, rugged voice froze him in his tracks. He turned to face his brother who was now standing, shielding his dead hunter, and waited.

'What will it take for you to bring him back?'

Mulling over the question for a moment, Zachariah smiled slowly.

'I want your obedience, Castiel,' he announced, his voice fierce. 'You will stay away from the Winchesters unless I tell you otherwise and you will do as you're ordered, without argument. Can you do that?'

'Yes.'

There was no hesitation in Castiel's voice. Unlike others, himself included, when Castiel made a promise, he stuck to it, Zachariah knew.

'Then we have a deal.' With a snap of his fingers, Zachariah disappeared along with the small group of angels that had accompanied him.

Sam crawled to his brother's side, sobbing hysterically as he took in his bloody and broken form. It took him a few moments to see, but there it was: his brother was breathing. He watched as the colour quickly returned to his lips, and then gradually his face. He felt a presence behind him and gripped Dean all the tighter, not wanting to let him go. No one was going to hurt his brother again, not if he could help it.

Castiel smiled weakly at Sam, his eyes wandering over the prone figure of Dean in his arms.

'Tell him…I did it for him,' the angel whispered, turning to leave. 'Tell him I'm sorry.'

'Wait, Cas. Are you not even going to say goodbye to him?' Sam asked in disbelief.

'It's better this way. He will understand eventually.' Walking towards the exit his steps faltered but he pressed onwards. 'Take good care of him, Sam.'

And with that, he was gone.

Sam turned his attention back to his brother as he felt him begin to stir in his arms.

The end…

* * *

A/N: So that's it, the end! Please let me know what you think as reviews are always welcomed! And if I get enough, I may just let you know that I have a sequel planned… J My sincere thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far, you've all been an amazing inspiration. Until the next time… Castielle xxx


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